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School Shooting Prompts Connecticut Group To Destroy Violent Games

In the wake of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, a community group is offering gift tokens to people who turn in their violent games to be destroyed - literally.

The group, named SouthingtonSOS is holding the trade-in event on January 12th in Southington, Connecticut. The gift certificates offered in return for violent videogames and movies are donated by Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce.

"The group's action is not intended to be construed as statement declaring that violent video games were the cause of the shocking violence in Newtown on December 14th," the group explained in a statement to the press.

"Rather, SouthingtonSOS is saying that there is ample evidence that violent video games, along with violent media of all kinds, including TV and movies portraying story after story showing a continuous stream of violence and killing, has contributed to increasing aggressiveness, fear, anxiety and is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying."

"Social and political commentators, as well as elected officials including the president, are attributing violent crime to many factors including inadequate gun control laws, a culture of violence and a recreational culture of violence."

Comments

It doesn't matter anyway does it? -------- Guns, video games, movies, it's all irrelevant. ------------- Humans are inherently violent and like all that has been said before, all these forms of entertainment make no difference. ---------- The human race has been violent throughout its history and you only have to read through history books in order to find that out. ---- The Crusades, which was a war of, greed, power and who's religion was right, was probably the most brutal and bloody of wars which came long before any sort of media. ----- The Battle for Independence came about as Americans wanted to be free to define their own destiny and before that, when the first settlers landed on the Americas, Pilgrims massacred many Native Americans. Where was the Media then? ----------- The first and second world wars were also bloody battles that came about when only news papers and radio were a form of entertainment for the masses. But was that caused by media? ------- The list goes on and on but the reality is this. ---- Sandy Hook was a tragedy and was wrong in every way. As a parent myself i couldn't even begin to imagine what those parents of the murdered children, and the loved ones of the teachers and staff of the school have gone through. --- To blame the media as the biggest contributing factor isn't the right move. If it was then tragedies like this would have ended after Columbine back in the 90's. --------- The facts are, in America, anyone can own a gun. Factors such as mental illness doesn't really get the attention it should. ---- Maybe there should be a national authority in the US that performs unannounced home checks on licensee's every 12 months to make sure every gun is registered and is stored properly, and few years those licensee's, and any applicants that apply for a gun license, should have a mental health check. ---- These checks should also allow for the inspection of medical records to check on mental health or, for applicants and licensee's to have it on their medical files so that if a doctor or mental health practitioner believes that an individual is suffering from, or is showing the signs of, a mental illness of sorts, he or she can then input the information onto a computer and then in turn red flag the gun owner to the relevant authority. That authority then obtains a warrant of seizure and then instructs the police to remove the guns and ammunition from the home, keeping them stored for a minimum of 2 years before either destroying them or selling them. Selling the guns at an auction after 2 years if the licensee is still suffering from a mental illness would also allow for the proceeds of the sale go back to the gun owner. ---- The above may sound intrusive but to me it is more logical than just blaming the media and responsible gun owners would probably be more than happy to do this.

It's often the same people who ride around on their hillbilly ATV's with their hillbilly beer & their hillbilly riflles shooting anything that moves, calling it a "sport" (even though the other side is outmatched & unaware they're even participating whether they'd want to or not), while they bang away on their hillbilly Bible preaching righteousness & telling everyone how to live & at the same time pointing their fingers at the people clicking buttons on a mouse when a real gun gets stolen & real people get shot up.
What are all these morons gonna do when they have no more media to blame? I have overwhelming evidence proving that violent people existed before all electronic media did, I have overwhelming evidence that violent people exist now, outside the influence of any so called "violent media" & I also have overwhelming evidence that proves most people consume such media regularly with no ill effects. The violence that occurred, would've occurred anyway.

Silly people, really. If they "Destroyed" violent games, some people will be pissed and will be violent
for real and kill more people.. Who cares, people (Men, Women and Children) die everyday.
And I don't feel sorry at all, Listening to Minus Human - Metallica. :)

"Rather, SouthingtonSOS is saying that there is ample evidence that violent video games, along with violent media of all kinds, including TV and movies portraying story after story showing a continuous stream of violence and killing, has contributed to increasing aggressiveness, fear, anxiety and is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying."
If that's the case, why aren't they offering gift certificates for violent movies or books. Lots of graphic violence in the Bible too. David chopped off the dicks of 100 Phillistines to pay King Saul for his daughter Michal's hand in marriage.
Maybe if the principal kept a gun in under their desk, the asshole might not have killed so many kids. They are so quick to blame the guns, but never stop to think it might not have something to do with all the psychotropic prescription drugs they prescribe to people that you find out a few years later caused all sorts of horrible shit to happen to them. You'd think they'd really test this shit first, but that would cost money.
And to anyone that would say 'he wouldn't have done it without guns' Maybe not, but others already do. Look up Chinese School massacres. Crazy sons of bitches running around with knives killing children ALL THE TIME in China. I think there were like three of these in 2010 alone! The problem is that America already has a LOT of guns. Making the laws harder is only going to make it harder to keep them out of the hands of responsible people...not criminals. I mean our Attorney General Eric Holder LITERALLY gives them to the criminals. See Operation "FAST AND FURIOUS".

...as long as there are people around. I live in South Africa and we have one of the highest crime rates in the world. In SA a woman is raped something like every 11 SECONDS! Hey and guess what? We have one of the strictest gun control laws around. Hmmm. In other words, take away the guns from the legit people but the criminals and low lifes get more and more guns! WTF? Really? Our criminals don't sit and play computer games - they're out robbing, killing and raping people and making their living. People need to care, and if you grow up in an uncaring environment then you won't give a Sh1t about anybody else.
Stop looking for stupid excuses like violent movies and video games. I've been playing violent games like Mortal Kombat, Quake etc since I was probably 7 or 8 and am now almost 30. I love movies like Terminator...and I can't even/won't even kill a snake if it comes into my house! Start creating a more caring environment - also get people into jobs so that they do not have idle hands and ditch the welfare unless people are literally dying without it! Just because you can have babies should not entitle you to more and more money.

Im pretty sure americans are going backwards in evolution, they are definitely getting dumber. Some psycho shoots a load of kids and they think the answer is to ban the virtual guns known as FPS games instead of banning the real guns!!! where is the logic, really??
I struggle to get my head around US laws, they ban drugs and lock people up for getting high because there is a very slight chance that an individual will have a bad reaction and end up in hospital, yet they legalize a tool thats only purpose is to kill living things, ARE THEY F*CKING SERIOUS??

Bows, axes, swords, knives. What do all of these have in common? They are all instruments designed for the explicit purpose of taking lives. Bows hunt animals. Axes cut down trees (which are alive), and knives are used for all sorts of cutting. Swords are unique though. They are the only weapon in the history of man for the explicit use of killing fellow humans.
I will agree that guns make killing people very easy, but I guarantee I could have killed just as many kids if not more running through the school with a sword. Just look at China.

Dude, no.
More people die by driving down the road than by guns. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. If guns killed people, America should have just dropped a few crates of M16s in the middle east! The last 8 years of being over there would have been avoided!
Fail logic is fail, grow up, go home.

lol fuckin fucktarded american scumbag who will keep living in denial and fear, you americunts are the living proof that civilians shouldnt be allowed to have any weapon, at least not americans, why give guns to a paranoid fucked up society that cant even control itself? why you need guns? dont you trust your own government and autorities to protect you? then why are you so proud of your so called "democracy"? why there arent any shootings like these at Canada where they are allowed to own guns too? the most retarded denial typical excuse "oohhhh but guns dont kill people" what are you fuckin stupid? then what they do, have they any other use besides kiling shit? of course fuckin not! its like saying oh im retarded and i killed 100 people with an m16 but wait its not the M16s fault its my fault because im fuckin retarded so let me keep my gunz anyway!111111 but do whatever you want stupid pigs, you wont change anyway and the less of you the better,

Yes we must destroy all violent video games and movies and go back to the time when there was no killing and no violence like the 1940's, when everything was peaceful and no one died except for old age. My grand pappy still tells me of those days, and how the first violent movie made people go crazy and start killing people in 1971. We must literally burn all of our violent video games and movies so no one can experience them anymore. There would be no way to get these media if we physically destroy them all.

The trolling in these comments is getting ridiculous. Subliminal messages in a Batman movie? CIA and MK Ultra conspiracy theories? Black people driving Mercedes while living on welfare? If this isn't trolling, it is ignorance of the third order.

EVERYONE look into subliminal messages into hollywood blockbusters. These movies are being controlled by very sinister people. Batman the dark knight rises is an example of that where both the aurora and sandy hook events are included in this. One part has a clear reference with the name "sandy hook" written on paper. WAKE THE FUCK UP EVERYONE AND STOP WATCHING HOLLYWOOD

blame everything but their own rules.....the aurora and sandy hook shootings where all part of the cia mind control project mk ultra. And yet they try this. what a fucking joke. Thats exactly why the relations to both so called murderers said BOTH were decent, friendly people. CIA PSYOPS Fuckem

Well, that is all in good, but I don't see them asking anyone to turn in their xboxes, playstation 3s, their tv's, shutting off cable, getting rid of their cellphones all of which you can see and watch violent stuff. It is only video games. Even the newspapers have violent stuff in them, I don't see them asking to shut down the newspapers

Why shoot people at school, why does not this person or other like it go shoot some niggers that get 5k a month on welfare and drive nice cadillac's and destroy neighborhoods. I'm sick of working for those burned chicken nuggets. Make our neighborhoods safe once again. District 9 them mother fuckers and drop a bomb.

Good then you are only helping the game company's make more of those games buy buying and destroying them. I need violent video games before I shoot someone hahha. When I came to this country and they ask me how did I learn to speak english, I say TV, now that I know better it was not TV. This idiot might be saying video games because he\she don't know any better.

rofl. Maybe the fact that you can buy a M16 along with your potato chips and soda in the US could be a good place to start this process? I have been playing violent games since I was 4 and I feel no need to unload a clip on an innocent child.

Ample evidence.
Actually, there's ample evidence showing the exact opposite.
The last research paper I read showcased number of murders during the period of times games like Doom 1 were released.
It showed a decline.
Saying there is a connection between games and crime is the same as saying the Earth is flat.
Absurd.

wow. these people are nuts. this trade in won't change a thing. it isn't the fault of violent games, movies, or music. kids today grow up with no discipline and many are spoiled brats. look at the parents who don't monitor what their young kids watch, play, or listen to. look at the parents who won't teach these kids the difference between right and wrong, or socially acceptable behavior or unnacceptable behavior. and for the parents who want to discipline their child, but can't for fear their child will be taken away; you can blame the state laws for that. in the end it comes down to either irresponsible parenting or idiotic state laws that prohibit a parent from "correcting" their own children. what about the mentally ill that plaque communities around this country? these people need help from trained professionals in a state psychiatric hospital. but congress passed a law prohibiting authorities from removing a mentally ill individual from public, even if the officer believes the mentally ill individual to be a "possible threat to the public". even a threat of violence by someone who is mentally ill is NOT considered a crime in many states. so what can you do? in many states police cannot arrest the mentally ill until after the crime has been committed. and people blame the entertainment industry. how about giving parenting classes and re-writing a few ridiculous laws.

so true, and those bad parents look else where to find the reason, it can t be them, it must be some thing else... video games... sure sure, those ppl must be retarted or some thing they should log on in call of duty and ask ppl who will wannna kill 20 childrens, they probly will never find a fucking soul.

What is wrong with people its not the violent games, movies , music , its the bloody parents.This seems to happen a shit load in America just sad , guess thats what happens when parents don't discipline their kids in a good way.

So what happened through out the middle ages ?
People where crucified as being witches/warlocks or some demon.
What was going on through out the Crusades ? Everyone sitting and drinking coffee and blowing smoke up each others rump roasts ?
I dont recall ever hearing of violence on TV, or Video games or even some type of mid evil media back in those days...